


Authenticity

by LamiaDusk



Category: Stardew Valley (Video Game)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Gen, past bullying, staying true to yourself
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-14
Updated: 2019-04-14
Packaged: 2020-01-13 09:17:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 809
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18465988
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LamiaDusk/pseuds/LamiaDusk
Summary: Bullying can change a person in the worst of ways. People who mean no harm are suddenly seen as enemies just because they have something in common with past bullies. Upon arriving in Stardew Valley to start her new life, Anna Walker thinks that she knows who will be her "friends" and who will be her "enemies". But with time, the lines between these factions begin to blurr... and confront Anna with the reality that life isn't black and white.





	Authenticity

It all felt so familiar. The cool glass of the window against my forehead and cheek, vibrating as the bus drove along the country road. It was already sunset, and during the few moments where I dared to open my eyes, I could see the now bright orange sky and the sun slowly disappearing behind the horizon.  
Taking the bus out to the countryside always had something peaceful… the feeling of the city‘s bustle slowing being left behind in favor of the peaceful life in a small town.  
There were few people taking the bus at this hour, which I was grateful for. I wasn‘t the most social person at the best of times.  
A blonde girl in a blue shirt and pink frilly skirt was sitting a few seats away from me, talking on her phone. She was carrying an expensive-looking camera with her.  
I wondered what someone like her was doing on a bus to Stardew Valley. She looked like the typical glitzy girl; more of a city type. Someone who would be loudly whining about her nailpolish cracking or there being a tiny bit of dirt on her precious clothes.

The bus stopped, and I got off with nothing but the black suitcase containing the few belongings I had brought with me to my new life.  
I had barely stepped off the vehicle when a wave of nostalgia hit me. It had been almost fifteen years since I had last come to Stardew Valley to visit my grandpa. But hardly anything seemed to have changed. The trees, the smell of the air, the long grass softly swaying in the breeze… as if no time had passed at all.  
A red-haired woman approached me with a welcoming smile. „Hello! You must be Anna, right? I‘m Robin, the local carpenter!“  
„Hello“, I mumbled, holding onto my luggage as if it was a lifesaver. „Yeah, that‘s me.“  
Robin didn‘t even seem to notice my trepidation. She just turned around. „Come on, your farm is over there. Mayor Lewis is currently making some last-minute preparations for your arrival.“  
I followed her while she prattled on about how much I would love it here and how glad she was to have someone new move into town.  
I just kept my head low and didn‘t say anything. I wasn‘t used to people being so… kind to me.

The farm was only a few metres away from the bus stop, but even from a distance, I could see how overgrown it had become since my grandpa‘s passing. I began doubting my decision to come here, but before I could express that, Robin stopped me right in front of the cottage that grandpa had called home.   
Like on cue, the door opened and out stepped Mayor Lewis. His eyes widened for a moment when he saw me. I didn‘t blame him; I had changed a lot in the past fifteen years.  
„Anna?“, he asked suspiciously. „Anna Walker?“  
„Hello, Uncle Lewis“, I replied in a deadpan voice. „I take it I‘m not what you were expecting?“  
He rubbed his eyes and shook his head to regain his composure. „Well, your parents told me that you… uh… changed your style during the past years. I just didn‘t expect the change to be so… drastic.“  
„I was eight years old the last time you saw me“, I replied, perhaps a bit more sharply than I intended. I swear I didn‘t mean to be so hostile, but people, especially those older than me, had been scrutinizing my personal style for years now, and I was, quite frankly, fed up with it.  
Robin, sensing the tension, gave a slightly nervous chuckle. „Well, I‘m sure you‘ll get along with my son. He has a similar fashion sense to you.“  
I turned away from Lewis, but not before shooting another glare his way, and replied:„I‘m looking forward to meeting him then.“  
Lewis cleared his throat. „Well, we‘ll leave you alone to settle in, then. You can introduce yourself to the people in Pelican Town tomorrow. Sleep well.“

I entered the tiny cottage and took a look around. It was furnished with a bed, a small table with a chair, a TV and the fireplace in front of which grandpa had told me so many stories when I was little. I dropped my suitcase next to the bed and then sat down in front of the fireplace, staring into it as if there was a fire dancing across the cold ashes.  
I sat there for a few minutes, just lost in my memories, until I got up and walked over to the bed. I had only packed a clothes and toiletries, none of which I currently had the space for. Sooner or later, I would have to buy a wardrobe at some point. But right now, I just wanted to sleep.


End file.
